Old
by MelanthiaChase
Summary: Nothing makes you realize you're getting old like sitting in a prison cell.  Clay's feeling it.  Oneshot, can be seen as a companion to the Milla/Juice Saga.  Takes place while the guys are in prison during the events of "Down the Road"


**I own nothing you recognize. All original characters and storylines are my own.**

**Old**

God he felt old. His muscles ached in ways he never imagined in his younger days. His hands cramped as the arthritis fought to twist them into shapes that he was sure weren't natural. He spent less time thinking about fucking and fighting and more time reliving the glory days when he was a young man fresh from the war with the entire world at his feet. More than that he knew he was old the second the moron came, grinning, back to the cell they shared in protective custody to tell him he was a grandfather again.

"You gotta see this Clay." He said as he sat on his bed and passed the picture he'd managed to print from a screen capture over to Clay. There was his little girl, holding her little girl while Gemma held them both and grinned. There were his girls and he should have been there.

"How is she?" Clay wasn't quite sure who he was referring to but Juice got the drift.

"According to Tara and Doctor Nior they're both ok but they think Esperanza has the heart defect and Milla's got that erratic thing goin on but as soon as they get the problems fixed they'll be fine." He grinned as he explained but Clay could see the flinch behind his eyes as he mentioned the heart defect. Yeah, Clay had the same reaction when the doctor told him his angel might die, but offered treatment. Clay had held the doctor to the wall by his collar and told him that if his little girl died the doctor would be going under too. After that Milla was given the best care available.

"Keep me updated. Gotta make sure my little girl's doin' ok." Juice nodded and took the paper back before he laid back on his bed and stared at it, the grin on his face matching the warmth Clay felt on the inside.

* * *

><p>"Why should we help you old man?" Tonto sneered as he sat with Clay in the yard. This boy may have been full Paiute to Clay's half but he had no right to show such disrespect.<p>

"Simple, the blood in our veins came from the same tribe. Also you beat the shit out of my son-in-law so you owe me some recompense. Since our enforcer's in solitary we need someone to work for us. Those someones are you and Tiny right there." He said as he pointed to the 6'5" slab of brown muscle standing behind the sneering man.

"Fine, I shouldn't have hit the little pussy. Didn't know he really was a husband to another Paiute. We want some shit too. Heard you all got stocked commissary. Think of it as fuel for your new enforcing machine." Clay smirked as he looked over at Juice. The little shit forgot to cover up his new ink in the yard and started this shit, he could pay by lightening his haul.

"Done." The sneer left Tonto's face and he extended his hand. Clay clasped as tightly as his pain filled hands could and the deal was struck. They'd have added protection and all it cost was half of Juice's commissary.

As soon as they left Clay allowed a grin to stretch his face. He may have been getting old but he still had what it took. He got up from the table and walked to Tig who raised his eyebrows and received a nod in response. It was done.

* * *

><p>"Hey Baby." Clay grinned as he sat across from Milla. Juice was doing some tech shit that the warden had set up and was unable to meet with her so Clay took the visit. It had been too long since he had a one on one with his babygirl. He could have Bobby or Tig find out the shit he needed later.<p>

"Hey Daddy. I've really missed you." His grin stretched wider. She had no idea how much he missed her. The stints in prison while she was growing up were hard but none compared to this. Yeah he'd missed a lot but he had been there for her first steps, her first word, "Daddy", her first fight. Everything important, but he was missing that with his granddaughter. That little brownie was already the light of his life and the one thing Juice actually did right. He wanted to be part of her life. He actually envied Gemma, even with house arrest she got to be there for everything.

"I've missed you too Sweetheart. How's the little one?" He asked and he wished he had a camera for the grin that spread across her face and the happiness that seemed to light her up. He'd only seen her this happy once and that was on her wedding day. Ok, the moron did _two_ things right.

"She's amazing. Getting healthier by the day. Her hair's starting to curl in these beautiful little ringlets. Oh Daddy, I can't believe something so perfect came from me and Juice. Did he show you the pictures I had Lowen send?" She asked and he nodded. Juice had given him one and Jax one but kept the rest of the pile for himself. Clay didn't argue though, a man needed something to keep him sane on the inside.

"Yeah he did Darlin' I have one in the cell. How are you? I heard the thing with your friend really messed you up." He saw her furrow her brow in confusion before things made sense.

"Oh, we're fine. Chantal's fine, we just have to be extra careful. Koz's waiting for me out front so I'm safe." Clay nodded, glad that he taught her how to keep her mouth shut at an early age.

"Good, now tell me about my grandbaby." She grinned brighter than the sun and Clay was glad he was able to receive the warmth.

* * *

><p>"Fucking bastards!" Jax fumed while they cooled their heels waiting to be assessed. The kid let his temper get to him and now they were all facing disciplinary shit.<p>

"Yeah they're fucking bastards, it's in their Nazi fuck DNA but that doesn't mean you let them get to you. Fourteen months Jax, that was all. Now we'll be lucky if they keep us at three years." Clay sat in the corner while Jax raved, Juice bounced and paced and Tig sat in a zen-like state in the corner, covered in white-supremacist blood. Bobby and Hap were already in for their assessment while the others had to bide their time.

"Don't you care what they said about Mom. You old lady, your _wife_!" Jax got in his face and Clay stood, speaking in the clearest, calmest, coldest voice he could.

"I care...I care more than you know. They would've been taken care of, quietly and discreetly but you lost your fucking head. I was thinking about my wife when I let it go, thinking about my daughter, my granddaughter and grandson. I didn't do anything because I want to see them. Did you think about Abel, about the Doc, your sister…no, you just wanted a fight and look at where we landed." Jax backed down but continued to pace while Clay sat back down and looked at Juice who was still bouncing and pacing in tight little circles. "Sit down you're giving me whiplash."

Jax looked over at Juice who sat down in the free corner of the cell, his hands beating a tattoo on his knees, and suddenly a realization dawned in his eyes. Yeah, he'd fucked Juice over pretty good too, fucked over all his brothers by being an ass with a hair trigger temper. Jax took a deep breath and went over to Juice.

"Listen Bro, I'm gonna do what I can for you. No reason you can't be there for Milla and Espy. They need you." Juice looked up and nodded but his face was still tight. He didn't trust Jax's promise and Clay didn't blame him. He didn't trust it either.

* * *

><p>Juice looked pissed off as he joined his brothers at the table in the yard. Clay could only guess what his daughter had done now. When the dykey brown bitch was involved things tended to turn to shit.<p>

"The bitch called CPS, they're investigating Milla." This brought a chorus of disbelief from the table. They all knew that little girl was doing her damndest to give her baby everything.

"What's she doin'? Jax asked, no doubt wondering if his son would end up involved and for once Clay wouldn't blame him.

"I just told her to cooperate, be sweet, just do everything in her power to show that she's a good Mom." Bobby nodded and Clay clasped his hands.

"She tell you what the accusation was?" Bobby asked and Juice shook his head.

"We didn't get into it, I didn't want her blood pressure to spike any more than it was. God damn it! I should be there, this shit shouldn't be happening." Juice slammed his hand to the table and turned to catch his breath. "I need to send a letter through Lowen, let the guys know to watch Milla. There's no way she's gonna let this go and I don't want her in jail."

"I'll get in contact with Lowen this afternoon, you get the letter ready." Clay offered in a rare showing of empathy. He agreed with Juice, Milla wouldn't let this go and they'd be lucky if they didn't have a dead, dyke bitch on their hands.

"Thanks Clay, I appreciate it." Juice sat down and clasped his hands together like he did when he was exceptionally nervous. As he looked to Clay, Clay just nodded. They both just wanted what was best for their girls. Shit, _their_ girls, not just his anymore and he was willing to share his responsibility. Damn, now he knew he was old.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note:<strong> This little story just came to me and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it out. I hope Clay's not too out of character. I just run with the fact that Milla's his angel and always will be no matter how long she's married to Juice.


End file.
